What's the best way to connect thermometer to your column?

[speedfreaksteve]

Currently I have a setup that's not too optimal, but basic and does the job. The top of my 2" pot still head is capped with a cork with a meat thermometer going through it. I want to replace this with a 2" cap and a drilled hole and use the same thermometer but using something with a much tighter seal. Any of y'all have some suggestions?

I was thinking of drilling a hole slightly bigger than the thermometer and using teflon tape, but I'm not sure if there's a better idea that I'm overlooking.

[still_stirrin]

Hey steve (I don't know why I always want to call you "Jullian"),

Here's what I did: drilled a 1/4" hole in the side of the riser (below the 90* elbow) and stuck a short length of 1/4" OD refrigeration tubing in and soldered it in place (sorta' like the liquid ouput on a Boka still head). You should give it a little angle downward towards the riser so it drains any condensate that might occur. Then, wrap a few twists of teflon tape around the thermometer/thermocouple and insert it into the 1/4" tubing. It seals very good (for me at least).

Good luck with it.
ss

[Tater Patch Kid]

1/8 compression with Teflon tape

[Saltbush Bill]

1/8 compression with Teflon tape

+1 .....like this
https://www.the-gas-safety.co/COMPRESSI ... mm-OD.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[RedwoodHillBilly]

1/8 compression with Teflon tape

Agreed, this works well. that's how I did it when I was using a type K thermocouple probe on my CCVM.

[Bushman]

1/8 compression with Teflon tape

+2, another thing to think about is the placement. When I built mine I put two thermostats, one on the boiler and one just above the dephlagmater (the norm at the time). Later there was a big debate where to put the one near the RC (above or below the RC). Both work but give different information. I believe the debate dealt with having it below the RC and one close to the boiler on the column allows you to tell when you have reached equalibrium. Again the debate was some 4-5 years ago and I believe it was debated for some time.

[Bushman]

This is one of the threads I was thinking about. Not exactly on topic but important when making your decision.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... r#p6959283

[speedfreaksteve]

1/8 compression with Teflon tape

That looks like a great solution. I think that's what I'll be going with.

[der wo]

Here's what I did: drilled a 1/4" hole in the side of the riser (below the 90* elbow) and stuck a short length of 1/4" OD refrigeration tubing in and soldered it in place (sorta' like the liquid ouput on a Boka still head). You should give it a little angle downward towards the riser so it drains any condensate that might occur. Then, wrap a few twists of teflon tape around the thermometer/thermocouple and insert it into the 1/4" tubing. It seals very good (for me at least).

Same like me. It sounds a bit too easy, but it never leaked at all my four different still heads, where I had this thermometer connection.

[Yummyrum]

I liked the compression Idea but went with the simple teflon wrapped shaft in a bit of flarred out 3/8"as I wanted to ensure the shaft only contacted the vapour and not the column wall.

On my Pot still , found this was the best way to connect it

[der wo]

You can see, I wrap a small strip of ptfe tape around the connection. Just for sure.

[nuntius01]

put in a thermowell. never have an issue after that

[The Baker]

You can get thermometers that just wrap around the pipe.

Geoff

[yakattack]

You can get thermometers that just wrap around the pipe.

Geoff

The down side to this Geoff is that you are not getting a true or accurate reading. The temp on the outside of the pipe and the temp of the vapor on the inside are not going to be the same. So if you are running reflux and and trying to hold azeo or even just hold solid equilibriem then the temp reading outside the pipe will squew it completely.

Yak